EquiTrace Technology on Display at Fasig-Tipton July

Buyers and sellers on site this week at Fasig-Tipton's Newtown Paddocks may have noticed signage for a fast-growing company called EquiTrace. Launched in 2019, the EquiTrace App not only identifies horses with the use of a microchip scanner, but also provides management and traceability solutions for horse farms and equine organizations.

Dr. Kevin Corley, a veterinary specialist in equine medicine and critical care, was one of the key founders of EquiTrace and said that the idea for the product stemmed from the industry's inefficiencies with identifying horses that have led to several high-profile mix-ups in recent years. As EquiTrace developed further, it expanded from not only an identification method, but also a management tool for farm managers, trainers and other equine-related organizations.

“As we launched EquiTrace, we started with the foundation of identification and then worked to address other issues including traceability, medication and what happens to a horse after racing,” Corley explained. “We've worked to build a system that provides real value to the people using it, but also has side benefits of helping the whole industry.”

EquiTrace was first launched in Europe and has been incorporated into many leading stud farms there, but it is now gaining traction in the U.S. and has been put to use at top farms in Kentucky, including Lane's End Farm. The product has already been used at Goffs Bloodstock Sales, but Fasig-Tipton is the first Thoroughbred auction house in the U.S. to partner with EquiTrace. At the Fasig-Tipton July Horses of All Ages and the Selected Yearlings Sales, all incoming horses were identified and checked in via the EquiTrace App.

Fasig-Tipton's Anna Seitz was the first member of Fasig-Tipton's team to learn about the product. She admitted that she had initial  reservations, but was eager to learn more as soon as she saw the app in action.

“I brought everyone in from Fasig-Tipton and showed it to them,” she said. “We all said that we had to get behind this right away because this is something that should have happened 10 years ago. It's cutting edge and it's a really positive thing for the industry. I truly believe that it's something we're all going to be using in the next couple of years. They've been an awesome company to work with and we're very happy to be partnering with them.”

“I think for Fasig-Tipton, it produces a system where they can 100% stand by it and make everything more efficient for checking horses in,” Corley added. “You've got a verifiable chain of how this horse was identified by this person at this time. It speeds up the process of making sure the right horse goes into the sales ring.”

The EquiTrace App works through the use of microchips, which are required by The Jockey Club for all registered Thoroughbred foals of 2017 and later. With the use of a scanner, the app quickly identifies the horse and pulls up its profile. From there, various pieces of information can be traced and recorded for that horse.

“We're trying to produce really useful tools to capture information that everyone needs to manage an efficient farm or training facility right at the sight of the horse,” Corley said. “Every time you scan the microchip, the app captures its GPS location. If you scan a horse when it comes off the van, you have a complete movement record for the horse. One of our clients was called about a foal and he just looked the horse up in the app and could tell the vet which barn to go to.”

Medical records can be maintained on each horse's page. EquiTrace recognizes over 1,000 products through the scan of the medication's barcode. Veterinarians and managers can enter the necessary treatment for a horse. As approved staff scans the horse, they will see the exact medication required along with its dosage and suggested withdrawal time. Users can choose the state jurisdictions they race under to adjust medication guidelines.

Reproductive records can also be traced through the app. Farm managers can maintain notes on each mare's profile as the mare is examined. That information is then easily accessible to other farm staff looking for up-to-date information on the horse.

While all of this data is accessible for horses with any type of microchip, further information can be tracked from horses with the Merck Animal Health Bio-Thermo Microchip, which contains a biosensor that measures a horse's body temperature.

“This is a really powerful tool because at just the stroke of a microchip scanner, people can get the temperature of their horse and the data is captured immediately onto the app,” Corley explained. “As an internal medicine specialist, that excites me because we're all facing a staffing shortage and it's really hard to take temperatures twice a day. With this system, it's very practical and there are no errors. One of our clients said they recorded 18 temperatures in a minute and 19 seconds.”

Looking ahead to the long-term benefits of EquiTrace, Corley said he believe expanded use within the industry will improve traceability of horses once they are retired from racing.

The approximate cost of the app is $2 per horse each month, with discounts available for farms with larger numbers.

“The idea is to give tools to the industry that help them at what is hopefully a price that everyone can afford,” Corley noted. “We've been delighted with the initial uptake in the States and we're working to continue to further that.”

To learn more about EquiTrace, click here.

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TRPB: More Than 35,000 Thoroughbreds Now Have Digital Tattoos

Less than three years after announcing a transition from the legacy lip tattoo system to a more efficient and accurate horse identification method, the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau (TRPB) announced today that over 35,000 Thoroughbreds have now been Digitally Tattooed.

The Digital Tattoo is an electronic authentication confirming the identity of a horse by a trained TRPB technician.

“Every racing 2-year-old, every 3-year-old and a significant share of 4-year-olds have Digital Tattoos and by the end of 2021, we estimate that 75 percent of Thoroughbreds will enter the racetrack paddock with a Digital Tattoo,” said J. Curtis Linnell, executive vice president, TRPB. “We have 56 TRPB Technicians under contract throughout the United States and Canada and even with the COVID-19 pandemic, they have been able to inspect, document and authenticate the identity of Thoroughbreds before their first lifetime start.”

The Digital Tattoo process begins when the technician scans the horse's microchip and if correctly reported, the microchip number hyperlinks to The Jockey Club electronic registration information viewed on a tablet.

Using the foal pictures as a reference, each markings description is compared to the horse's physical markings. After the markings, color and sex of the horse are verified, the technician documents the horse by taking 12-14 digital photos. These pictures are uploaded to The Jockey Club's Registry database thus becoming part of the horse's digital record.

The TRPB technician then affixes a TRPB logo on the electronic certificate of registration. This seal indicates that the TRPB has verified the identity of the horse and certified that the Thoroughbred is digitally tattooed in the breed registry's database.

“The new system has been well received not only by horsemen but also by racing office personnel and regulatory officials,” Linnell said. “We were thrilled to see that this year's 14-race Travers Day card at Saratoga Race Course featured every horse on the card, with one lone exception, sporting a Digital Tattoo.”

Even with the success and widespread adoption of the new system to date, the TRPB is striving for improvement in two areas: increased awareness and deployment of the InCompass Solutions Digital Identifier mobile app for race day horse identification; and broader utilization by the entire horse racing industry of Digital Tattoo information.

The accuracy of the identification process starts with the breeder reporting the microchip number as part of the foal's registration.

“We can't overemphasize the importance of getting the microchip reported correctly,” said TRPB's manager of technician operations, Teena Appleby. “This is the only way our technician can start the process of authenticating the horse's identify. A microchip sitting in a desk drawer isn't helping anyone.”

“The use of the Digital Identifier mobile app is the only way to identify horses on race day,” according to Appleby.

With a username and password provided by InCompass, horse identifiers, race office personnel, barn area security and other racetrack officials may automatically access the digital tattoo file that includes the photo of the horse's face, photos of every marking, the name of the horse, the horse's color, and the certificate of foal registration from The Jockey Club.

“These individuals now have immediate access to the horse's picture ID, which is akin to a passport or driver's license and with more identification tools than they've ever had available previously,” Linnell said. “A Thoroughbred should never have to be scratched from a race because of an identification issue, or have an incorrect horse be permitted to start in a race.”

TRPB Agent Rachael Mant, based at TRPB Headquarters in Maryland, makes a weekly visit to the Fair Hill Training Center to digitally tattoo Thoroughbreds. Trainers there have embraced the new system.

“This system has been working out great,” said Mike Trombetta. “The days of lip tattoos are in the rear-view mirror.”

Trainer Keri Brion believes: “the digital ID system is way better because you can always see them. It's much easier and I much prefer it.”

Trainer Arnaud Delacour said: “Tattoos in older horses can be very hard to read and it's a big plus if we don't have to flip the lip before a race.”

Trainer Graham Motion says he wishes the Digital Tattoo system had been adopted 10 years ago.

“This system is much more up to date. It's a clearer version of identifying horses and keeping tabs on them. It's much more organized and much easier.”

Lori Wydick, paddock horse identifier for two Ohio race tracks, said: “I prefer to see the horse's identifiable markings in the photos of the horses in the Digital Identifier program. The program has current photos from their Digital Tattoos as well as the registration photos of the horses. Photos are undeniable forms of identification. Photos of cowlicks, night eyes, and any other identifiable marking is invaluable.”

The TRPB is an investigative agency formed in 1946 by the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America to protect the integrity of the sport.

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New App Allows For Real-Time Equine Temperature Monitoring, Location Dissemination And Data Sharing

Merck Animal Health has announced its strategic partnership with Irish-based technology company EquiTrace Ltd., creators of the EquiTrace™ platform. Through the EquiTrace smartphone app, the entire horse care team can securely update and access each horse's GPS location and medical record in one convenient location. The app also works in conjunction with Merck Animal Health's Bio-Thermo® microchips, allowing horse care professionals to instantly read, graph and monitor a horse's temperature.

“This partnership is a natural extension of our commitment to delivering innovative infectious disease management solutions to support improved horse care,” said Ron McDaniel, Director of U.S. Equine Sales, Merck Animal Health. “By enabling convenient digital temperature monitoring, we're able to make life easier for busy veterinary and farm teams while providing them with tools to help efficiently identify illness and monitor disease outbreaks.”

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EquiTrace, which can be used with individual horses or at large barns, is compatible with any microchip but must be coupled with a Bio-Thermo microchip to access the temperature-sensing functionality. Bio-Thermo microchips measure a horse's temperature within one-tenth of a degree[1] and provide access to a horse's identification. Both the EquiTrace app and Bio-Thermo microchips work with the Global Pocket Reader Plus™ and the HomeAgain® UWSR+ microchip readers, and the EquiTrace app is available for iPhones or Androids. In addition, the Bio-Thermo microchip is compliant with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standards 11784 and 1178 and meets requirements of both the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).

“We are excited to partner with Merck Animal Health to bring EquiTrace to the U.S.; the technology streamlines health recordkeeping, a task that has traditionally been hard to maintain in busy barns,” says EquiTrace founder Kevin Corley, BVM&S, PhD, DACVIM, DACVECC, MRCVS. “The combination of Bio-Thermo microchips with our software enables rapid identification of temperature fluctuations in a horse at the stroke of a microchip scanner. This is essential to managing infectious diseases, such as equine herpesvirus, influenza and strangles. As an internal medicine specialist, I'm delighted to contribute to a novel temperature monitoring system that's effective without stressing the horse or the barn team.”

EquiTrace data is encrypted, and each barn's data is private. The EquiTrace account owner authorizes others to access data securely through the app. All EquiTrace functions are available with no internet connection for easy access at the barn or on the road. New data is synced when the app is opened with internet connection. To download EquiTrace, visit the App Store or Google Play.

Read more here.

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The Thoroughbred Makeover Entrance Exam: Raising The Bar On OTTB Education

In 2019, competitors who wanted to compete in the Thoroughbred Makeover had to do more than just complete the already-rigorous application process: they had to provide a letter from their veterinarian confirming they had the knowledge and skills to competently care for an OTTB. This letter also proved that the competitor had an active veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

The Retired Racehorse Project, the nonprofit organization that hosts the Thoroughbred Makeover each year, then provided email blasts, webinars and social media content on horse health, often on OTTB-specific topics. The RRP also provided reminders to competitors about things like vaccinations and microchip registration.

The horse-health push culminated in every horse competing in the Thoroughbred Makeover competition receiving an on-site veterinary exam. The horse had to pass the exam to be permitted to compete. Though overwhelming at the outset (veterinarians had a day and a half to complete the exams on over 350 retired racehorses), the process went very smoothly.

First, competitors had to present their vaccination record, proof of Coggins and microchip information to the vet team without their horses. Then, they brought their horses for a 30-minute exam. The ability to sign up for time slots ensured that vets weren't overwhelmed and horses weren't forced to wait for hours; competitors were able to schedule  their exam time around their stall setup and schooling schedules.

The veterinarian in charge of overseeing all of the staff and volunteers was Dr. Shannon Reed, an associate professor of equine surgery in The Ohio State University's Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. She and her team checked every horse for:

  • a microchip registered with The Jockey Club and RRP
  • a body condition score of at least 4 on the 1-to-9 Henneke scale
  • normal vital signs
  • any abnormal blemishes or swellings
  • soundness

Read more at the Retired Racehorse Project.

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